Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas
In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Texas using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in October 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Texas.
#25. Bee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,546 people (505 unemployed)
#24. Orange County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,742 people (1,965 unemployed)
#23. Trinity County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,443 people (294 unemployed)
#22. Liberty County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,337 people (2,030 unemployed)
#21. Hall County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,076 people (60 unemployed)
#20. Hidalgo County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 385,842 people (21,391 unemployed)
#19. Presidio County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,057 people (172 unemployed)
#18. Brooks County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,253 people (129 unemployed)
#17. Val Verde County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,246 people (1,204 unemployed)
#16. Harrison County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,643 people (1,639 unemployed)
#15. Morris County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,655 people (271 unemployed)
#14. Frio County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,249 people (537 unemployed)
#13. Tyler County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,983 people (410 unemployed)
#12. Jefferson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 106,757 people (6,547 unemployed)
#11. Jasper County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,537 people (795 unemployed)
#10. Sabine County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,381 people (217 unemployed)
#9. Sutton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,030 people (67 unemployed)
#8. Newton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,119 people (339 unemployed)
#7. Willacy County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,043 people (470 unemployed)
#6. Zapata County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,689 people (319 unemployed)
#5. Dickens County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 568 people (40 unemployed)
#4. Kenedy County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 123 people (9 unemployed)
#3. Maverick County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,385 people (1,673 unemployed)
#2. Zavala County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,560 people (297 unemployed)
#1. Starr County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,937 people (2,164 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
